Can I just stop saying it ppl? I'm not making any money and you all know where the disclaimer is by now, I hope ::hmmmm::
Amalthea
Indeed, Harry did cool down, but not really until the day of the match. On the morning of the big match, while the team were changing into their scarlet robes, Robin for the first time, not wearing the white and red, Harry came down to talk to the team. It was a big surprise as he had barely said ten words a day for the past week.
"I just wanted to say good luck guys," Harry said quickly, before turning to Ron.
"If you want, you can borrow my Firebolt Ron, I'd trust you with it," Harry said, offering the broom to his best friend.
Ron looked shocked.
"I, uh, I don't know what to say, uh, thanks Harry!" Ron stuttered. Ron took the broom and Harry waved, wishing them luck again before he headed to the stands. Just as he was leaving, Lee Jordan, still the commentator, began calling out for the teams to be ready to fly up.
"Okay guys, conditions out there are fantastic, not a cloud about. A little chilly but nothing you guys can't handle. You know what Wood always used to say," Angelina said, looking around the team.
As if on some silent queue, the Weasly twins both decided to recite their former captains' usual speech. The team laughed at this and so was ready to fly out. They listened for Lees' signal.
"And first to come onto the pitch, the reigning champions from the last Hogwarts Quidditch cup match, heres Griffindor! First the chasers, Johnson, Spinet and Bell!" Lee yelled as the crowed yelled. On cue the three chasers shot out and began doing some ariel acrobatics that Robin had taught them.
"Johnson has also taken over from Wood as captain of the Griffindor team, we'll have to wait and see if they can win the cup again this year. And now we have the unbeatable beaters, the famous Weasly twins!"
Fred and George flew out and one of them bopped the other on the head. The bopped twin spiralled lazily down before righting himself and waving to the laughing and cheering crowd.
"Now, the newest member of the team, the brand, spanking new keeper, Weasly!"
Ron shot out on Harry's Firebolt and took a lap around the pitch before going through on of the Griffindor goals and heading to his post.
"Well I'll have to be careful of my commentary now with three Weasly's on the field won't I folks. And now, filling in for the famous Griffindor seeker Potter, is none other than Sage!"
Robin shot out, the Phoenix wing leaving a streak of colour behind it. She shot up as high as she could before diving down to swoop the booing Slytherins.
"This girl was a Quidditch team captain in Australia and has never not caught the snitch. But will her captures be as spectacular as Potters? We'll just have to wait and see. And now the Slytherin team!"
The Slytherins came out as Lee called on them, the team taking in the players and gauging their skills from the entrance. Robin watched with an eagle eye, waiting to see their seeker.
"And, filling in for the Slytherins seeker Malfoy, is none other that… uh… Sage!" Lee stuttered, reading the name of the player.
Erin flew out and zipped around the Slytherin stands, blowing kisses and waving. Robin glowered at this and flew upside down on her broom.
"Another interesting fact about the Slytherin seeker is that she was a Quidditch team captain in Australia and has only ever lost the snitch to her sister, Robin Sage. Will the girls be able to keep the game civil? Or will there be more than each team has bargained for on this field."
Madame Hootch watched as the two team captains shook hands. Then she blew her whistle and let the balls fly. The snitch was lost in a matter of minutes. And so the game began. Robin and her sister watched the game with only half an eye, searching for the snitch at all times. The game was a savage one, as it always was between Griffindor and Slytherin. Fouls were called and penalties taken. Harry watched sitting on the end of his seat as Ron caught the quaffle again and threw it to Katie Bell. After about 4 hours, the score was almost tied. Griffindor was 10 points up.
Harry then saw the glitter of gold that he had unconsciously been looking for during the game. Robin saw it too, but so did Erin. Each went into a dizzying climb to catch the snitch, each from different ends of the pitch.
The crowd gasped as they each levelled off, only centimetres away from one another and continued to climb. The crowd watched as the both banked to the right, the Forbidden Forest now in their view. Each reached out a hand and grabbed the snitch, each holding onto it and refusing to let go.
Madame Hootch blew the whistle and awarded each team 150 points for the capture. The Griffindors went wild, Harry and Hermione jumping up and down shouting for joy at the win of a mere 10 points.
Madame Hootch looked up to see that the two sister seekers had not come back down to earth. Harry, who was smart enough to bring the omnioculars he had gotten at the Quidditch world cup, focused them on the two seekers. He gasped at what he saw. They were not the happy winning faces that he should have seen, but the terrified faces of someone out of control! Harry signalled madly at Ron, who shot after the twins on the Firebolt.
"What are you doing?!" Ron yelled, keeping the broom at top speed just to call to the girls.
"RON, HELP! We can't let go! It's pulling us away! HELP!" Robin yelled, Erin screaming too much do talk. Ron focused on the snitch and saw that it was glowing, a force around the two hands of the girls stopping them from releasing it. He tried to keep up with the girls, pushing Harry's broom to the limit but to no avail. The Phoenix wings the girls had were being pulled away faster than the brooms could fly. Ron was forced to turn back as the Firebolt gave a sudden jerk, having been pushed to far, and slowed down to a crawl. Ron was able to get back to the pitch before the broom stopped entirely.
Harry, Hermione and the Griffindor team met Ron as he came gliding down to earth.
"Straighten up!" Fred yelled at his little brother.
"Level out!" George shouted.
Ron crashed to the ground, rolling head over heels until he ran into Harry and sent the two of them sprawling over the ground.
"What did they say?" The team all wanted to know. Madame Hootch especially wanted to know. Ron hurriedly explained what had happened just as Hagrid yelled down from the top of the stands. He had been watching the twins as they were pulled away and hadn't seen Ron's 'graceful' landing.
"They crashed down in the Forest! We gotta get 'em outta there, there's no tellin what might get 'em," he called.
The Griffindor team, Harry and Hermione all wanted to help but were told to get changed and go back to the castle. They grumbled but did as they were told. Harry was happy to note that Malfoy had already gone in and away from the scene.
The school was made to stay indoors for the remainder of the day, some of the classrooms opened for them to use instead of the grounds. Only the ghosts and a few of the teachers remained indoors to supervise the students. Professor Trellawney wasn't much help in this department, reading the palms of the passing students, oblivious to any mischief. Flich and Calima were invaluable, the new Defence against Dark Arts teacher being almost as nasty as Snape was.
Harry spent the afternoon mending his burnt out broom. Ron kept apologising and Harry kept on telling him not to worry about it, as he would have done the same thing. Hermione and Ron tried to play chess, and for once, Ron was beaten. He kept on placing his pieces in no win places. Once Harry was satisfied that his broom was dually mended, he then took a post on the highest windowsill, usually Robin's haunt and watched through the gloom as the teachers continued their search, the forest lit up with tiny dots from the end of wands as teachers used a lumos spell to see.
